Countdown to Christmas: Local last-minute shoppers seek final chance for Christmas trees

Some last minute Christmas tree and wreath shoppers stopped by Greenstreet Gardens in Virginia on Sunday. (WTOP/Heather Gustafson)
In Alexandria, Virginia, a few brave individuals made a dash to Greenstreet Gardens for their last-minute Christmas trees and wreaths. (WTOP/Heather Gustafson)
A wreath at Greenstreet Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia. (WTOP/Heather Gustafson)
Ryan and Ethan, retail movers at Greenstreet, noted that many last-minute shoppers are families with college students home on break. (WTOP/Heather Gustafson)
Trees at Greenstreet Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia. (WTOP/Heather Gustafson)
Bows for sale at Greenstreet Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia. (WTOP/Heather Gustafson)
Trees at Greenstreet Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia. (WTOP/Heather Gustafson)
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On a brisk day in Alexandria, Virginia, a few brave individuals made a dash to Greenstreet Gardens for their last-minute Christmas trees and wreaths just three days before the holiday.

The days counting down to Christmas are usually when bustling crowds swarm to grab last-minute holiday essentials. At Greenstreet, however, hundreds of trees lined up like a silent winter oasis — nearly devoid of shoppers.

Elizabeth, a last-minute shopper, searched for a wreath for her front door. She admitted not getting a tree this year due to being busy, but she said she usually gets one.

Elizabeth was not judgmental toward last-minute shoppers.

“If you were busy, you were busy,” she said. “Or if maybe you didn’t know if folks were coming or weren’t feeling the holiday spirit until today, then good for you for getting out there and doing it.”

Ryan and Ethan, retail movers at Greenstreet, noted that many last-minute shoppers are families with college students home on break.

For the retail staff, the pressure is different.

Ethan shared insights into what happens to remaining trees that aren’t sold. “After Christmas, we throw these trees, all these trees in the mulcher,” he explained.

“They’re gonna go either way. So they’re going in someone’s home or they’re going in a mulcher, so get them now,” Ryan added.

The store typically sells 3,000 to 4,000 Christmas trees annually. The trees are sourced from North Carolina, Washington, and Oregon.

Greenstreet Greenery is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily — closing only on Christmas Day.

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Heather Gustafson

Heather Gustafson is a Freelance Anchor/Reporter for WTOP, a DMV native and an Emmy award-winning journalist lauded for her 2020 Black Lives Matter protests coverage.

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